does anyone have any tips about maintaining a low sodium diet?? i have done some research online but i was wondering if anyone has any personal tips that might help too. i want to stay on a low sodium diet not only because its better for your heart, kidneys etc but also because it should keep my moon face down!! i am on 9 mgs not and my face is still slightly puffy and i know that if i keep my salt intake to a minimum my face wont be quote so "moony" lol.

anyways my question is: does anyone know how to keep a low sodium lifestyle not only in home cooking but also when eating out? what food i should avoid etc (i am in college so i tend to eat out a lot....)

Avoid foods in boxes, plastic wrap and bottles. Most prepared foods have tons of sodium simply for preservation. Even things like bottled salad dressings and sauces are loaded with sodium. Scratch cooking is really best and it doesnt have to be time consuming or complicated. Really just consume whole, fresh foods and learn cooking methods that infuse flavor without adding extra fat or salt. Grilling, braising, broiling and searing help infuse flavor. Herbs can add lots of flavor w/o sodium. There are many wonderful low sodium cook books out there with really tasty, inexpensive and quick recipes from scratch.

Most franchise type restaurants use lots of salt. And lots of people just grab the salt shaker and add more.

You can always ask if they can use less or none. Family owned restaurants will comply.

If you avoid the obvious large amounts of salt there is no reason you can't eat out occasionally and not worry. Those who eat manufactured and fast foods get massive amounts. But if you limit your intake then occasional transgressions should not hurt unless you have some other medical condition.

Personally I try to eat sensibly most of the time and then eat "bad" foods occasionally. Don't feel deprived that way.